Snow-excluder.



No, 719,344. -PATBNTBD JAN. 27, 1903.

L.4 L. LEATHERS.

SNOW EXCLUDER. APPLIUATION FILED rss. ze, 190s.

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Np. 719,344. PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903.

L. L. LBATHERS. SNOW EXCLUDER. APPLIOATIo'N FILED Hm. e, 1902.

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@Nozuup mkmumun s .n L, 'ms Nnnms swans co, PHmaLmm. mmm nm LEVI L. LEATHERS, OF ST. ALBANS, MAINE.

SNOW-EXCLUDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,344, dated January 27, 1903.

Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial No. 95,807. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI L. LEATHERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Albans, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow-Excluders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to means for excluding snow, water, or the like from shoes, rubbers, boots, dre.; and it consists in a hollow band or anklet adapted to be iniiated and secured around the leg or ankle of a party wearing such shoes or rubbers, together with means for holding the same in proper position.

It fu rtherconsists in certain other novel oonstructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of a lumbermans rubber or overshoe, a portion of the same being broken away and shown in section for revealing my improved snow-excluder in position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the snowexcluder removed from the rubber or overshoe. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional View through the said snow-excluder. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of an overshoe with the snowexcluder attached directly to the said shoe for holding it in position. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the excluder and the portion of the overshoe in which it is held. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one end of the eX- cluder, showing the means for holding air in the excluder after it has been iniiated.

The device which forms the subject of this invention is designed to be used more particularly by persons who have to go about in snow and bad weather, more especially in the northern parts of our country, and prevents snow, water, dac., from gettinginto the shoes, overshoes, boots, or the like worn by said persons.

The device consists principally in an iniiated tube or hollow band l, which is open at one end and formed with a flexible stem 2, into which air may be forced for iniiating the said tube, after which the said stem can be folded upon itself and fastened by a clip or other suitable means for retaining the air within the tube.

The excluderis preferably arranged around the ankle or leg of the wearer at the top of the shoe, overshoe, or boot with'its free ends brought together at the front, and the ends are drawn together by any suitable means for securing the inflated tube snugly around the ankle or leg. A very convenient means for securing the said tubein position is shown in Fig. 2, where a cord 4 is secured to two or more eyelets 5, thesaid cord being adapted to be looped over hooks 6 upon the opposite end of the tube. The middle portion of the cord is then thrown over a third hook 7, upon the saine end of the tube with the eyelets 5. The hooks 6 and 7 may be secured in the material of the tube in any suitable manner for forming a firm fastening.

The tube l is preferably formed with a strengthening-band 8, applied to the outer side of the tube for reinforcing and for affording a strong means of attachment for the said tube either to the shoe, overshoe, or to the foot of the wearer. The eyelets 5 and the hooks 6 and 7 are preferably secured directly to this reinforcing-band 8, so that they will not be likely'to pull out or tear or puncture the flexible inflatable portion of the snowexcluder.

When the excluder l is not to be secured to an overshoe, it is preferably formed with straps 9 and l0, forming a socket or rest into which the heel of the wearer can be inserted, as clearly illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. These straps prevent the snow-excluder from working upwardly upon the leg of the wearer and from getting out of position at the top of the overshoe ll. In applying the excluder with this form of retaining means the inflated tube is placed around the ankle or leg of a wearer `and is iniated to a suitable extent to thoroughly fill the space between the said ankle or leg and the upper edge of the overshoe l1. The inflated tube will thus not onlyprevent any snow or water IOO getting into the top of the overshoe, but will form a yielding cushion for the ankle or leg of the wearer at the top of said overshoe.

It is sometimes preferable to connect the excluder directly to the overshoe, and when desired the inflatable tube l is applied to the upper edge of the overshoe by cementing or otherwise securing the reinforcing-strip S directly to the material constituting the upper portion of said shoe. In this instance, of course, it will not be necessary to employ the strips 9 and 10. It will generally be sufficient to cement or otherwise attach the tube at the rear of the shoe, though it may be attached at other points, iffound most desirable, all within the spirit of the present invention. The inflatable tube is preferably made of sufficient length to permit of its ends being overlapped slightly, so that one may fold upon the other, as illustrated in Fig. 5, thus providing a cushion entirely around the ankle, between it and the edge of the shoe.

The device is exceedingly simple in structure, and in addition to thoroughly keeping snow and water out of shoes and overshoes of personsforced to go aboutin snow and water it will add greatly to the comfort of the wearer of such shoes or overshoes.

A device of this character is of especial advantage to people moving about in the northern parts of our country, since it prevents them from suffering with wet and consequently cold feet occasioned by the getting of water, snow, or ice into the tops of their overshoes cr boots.

While the eXcluder may be made of various materials for filling the space between the shoe and ankle, yet it is preferably formed of elastic rubber. When thus formed, it is not affected by moisture and will not become saturated with the same, thus possessing advantages over other materials.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- A I. A snow-excluder comprising an inflatabletube, adjustable means for holding the same in position around the ankle or leg of a person so as to fill the space between the top of a shoe and the said ankle or leg, substantially as described.

2. A snow-excluder, comprising an iniiatable tube adapted to have its ends drawn together around a persons ankle or leg within the top of a shoe, or overshoe for filling the space between the said shoe and the ankle or leg of such person,means for securing the ends of said inflatable tube together, and means for holding the tube in proper position, substantially as described.

3. A snow-excluder, comprising an inatable tube with separable ends that may be spread apart so as to be placed about a persons ankle, a reinforcing-strip placed outside the tube, means attached to the said strip for preventing the tube from working out of position, and means for joining the ends of the tube to hold the same in position around the ankle or leg of the wearer, substantially as described.

4. A snow-excluder, comprising a band or anklet made up of a hollow inflatable portion and a reinforcing-strip secured to the outer surface thereof, means for permitting the tube to be inflated, securing means for fastening the ends of the tube together around,

the leg of a wearer, and means for preventing the tube from working upwardly upon Athe wearer, comprising straps adapted to extend beneath a portion of the heel or foot, substantially as described.

5. A snow-excluder, comprising an elastic band adapted to be placed loosely in the space between the upper edge of an overshoe and the leg of the wearer thereof, means for securing the ends of said band together around the leg, and means for holding the said band from working upwardly around the leg when worn, substantially as described.

6. A snow-excluder, comprising an inflatable tube with separable ends, means forjoining the ends of said tube together around the leg of the wearer, comprising a cord secured in suitable eyelets and engaging hooks upon the ends of said tube, and means for permitting of the inflation of said tube and holding the same in the inflated condition, substantially as described.

7. A snow-excluder, comprising an inflatable tube, an attaching means secured to the outer surface of the said tube and surrounding the same when placed around the ankle of the wearer, the tube when inflated being adapted to completely fill the space between the top of the shoe or overshoe and the ankle of the wearer, and means for holding the ends of the said tube together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI L. LEATI-IERS.

Vtitnesses:

ALBERT L. SYLvEsTER, HoRATIo B. LILLY.

ICCI

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